Clinical Examination and Procedural Skills (CEPS)

When, and how many

Ongoing and post-appropriate through ST1 and ST2. By the end of ST3 you need all the intimate examinations plus a range of others relevant to general practice.

Choosing a case that will go well

• Take intimate examination opportunities when they arise. They do not appear on demand, and trainees who wait until ST3 run into real difficulty.
• Sexual health, gynaecology and urology placements or clinics are worth seeking out deliberately.
• Musculoskeletal, ENT, ophthalmoscopy and dermatological examination are all worth capturing.

What good looks like

• Consent and chaperone arrangements are explicit in what you record.
• You describe the examination technique, not just that you did it.
• The range is genuinely broad by the end.

What commonly trips people up

• This is the single most common cause of a last-minute panic in ST3.
• Assuming a GP post will provide the intimate examinations. It may not, in the numbers you need.
• Recording the procedure without recording the consent conversation.